Help! Which flat would you choose and why?

[Shadow12345]

Hi Mumsnetters - Hope all is well! Please help me choose between these two flats of the same price, but very different in characteristics. Thanks in advance!

Option 1:

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/150578588#/?channel=RES_BUY

Close to waitrose, shops and Amenities in Finchley road, close to tube station, but ex-LA, no garage, no balcony, leasehold.

Option 2:

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/146939888#/?channel=RES_BUY

Has garage, balcony, private owned, share of freehold, but an annoying 20 mins walk to the West Hampstead station, not close to waitrose, shops and amenities.

Have you considered Ealing Broadway for the Elizabeth line?

Sorry, I hadn’t seen that the first one was in a council block. West Hampstead is very mixed in terms of council housing. do you know what percentage is privately owned?

I’d go and visit at different points of day/night. Yoj won’t get a non-ex-LA for the budget in WH.

I definitely wouldn’t go for the second.

About 70% private is what the EA told me.

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/137656895#/?channel=RES_BUY

Bedroom and kitchen look a bit tired but a nice living room and a swimming pool!

Camden council is a nightmare to deal with as a tenant IME and I assume it still owns the freehold of #1, so if anything goes wrong you'd have to deal with them. That said, they are both nice flats in a good area.

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/150133037

Ok this is leasehold but good outdoor space- and I do think it's a bit mad commuting from a meh area of north london when you could be in a more affordable area of south london (more edgy possibly)

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/149432564

Brockley is lovely and leafy/villagey! Much nicer than Kilburn. And a short walk to DLR for Canary Wharf.

OP, if you haven't done any exploring in south london on dlr, I'd definitely recommend you do some, before committing to slightly meh areas of north london! If you could afford/were looking in prime north london, I wouldn't suggest south!

Looks good. £5200 pa service charge however!

Kilburn is among the most deprived areas of England. Fine if you don't mind getting mugged at night.

https://www.kilburntimes.co.uk/news/21965245.deprived-areas-revealed---new-figures-show-rich-poor-divide/

Agree with above. Plus share of freehold.

I'd never buy leasehold again

Take your budget elsewhere tbh. Why do you want to be Nw?

Probably flat 2, but not a fan of either really but that’s just me. But the share of freehold and not being ex LA make flat 2 better imo although it does sound like the location isn’t as good for you.

Relatively lol 😂